Staunton, Virginia

Staunton is an independent city in Virginia. It was first settled in 1732 by John Lewis and his family, and it was founded in 1747; it was named for Rebecca Staunton, the wife of Lieutenant-Governor William Gooch, 1st Baronet. By 1760, it was a remote trading center in the backcountry, and it developed as a trade, transportation, and industrial center after the Virginia Central Railroad arrived in 1854. On 7 June 1864, the Union general David Hunter and 10,000 troops destroyed and looted much of Staunton during the American Civil War. On 10 July 1902, Staunton became an independent city. In 2010, Staunton had a population of 23,746 people.